Harry Potter and the Great Escape
by AngelZash
Summary: Harry is kidnapped by Voldemort, will he survive long enough to make it back to Hogwarts? ~Now Complete~
1. The Kidnaping

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story line of this one fanfic here. Suing me would be pointless since I am a rather broke College Junior. Unless you'd like my debts...

Also, I'd just like to say that I rather like Snape. He's an interesting guy, especially since he always protects Harry like "a mama cat with her kittens," as my father put it. This story will reflect some of that, just so you know. Enjoy!! And please review. But only CREATIVE Criticism, please.

  
  


Harry glared angrily at his cousin, or more appropriately, the locked door that separated him from Dudley, as he continued to pound on Harry's door and taunt him. This summer had not gone well at all for Harry and this was only the most recent of taunting sessions from his cousin.

The summer had begun as usual, only now his uncle grew angry at him for waking him in the middle of the night during his nightmares. He watched Cedric's death at least once a week now, without Dumbledore's calming presence to keep the memories at bay. He couldn't tell his Aunt and Uncle of his dreams; they'd never understand. They would probably just reprimand him for surviving.

As if that weren't enough, Dudley had come home with a crush. It wasn't an actual girl he'd come home with, but rather a story about a beautiful girl he was seeing. Supposedly, severely overweight, he never had lost much weight even with his many enforced diets, Dudley had snagged a girl.

"Oooh... My baby's all grown up," Aunt Petunia had cried when Dudley had made the announcement over dinner Harry's first night back.

Uncle Vernon clapped Dudley on the back with a gruff, though proud, "That's my boy! A lady-killer just like his father!"

Harry'd had to fight not to squirt his mashed potatoes out his nose. Just the thought of Dudley having a girlfriend was ridiculous. Dudley had seen the stifled snort and his eyes narrowed.

"Jealous? Bet you couldn't get one," Dudley taunted, sneering at Harry. Harry thought momentarily that he looked as though he were afraid Harry would say he had a girlfriend.

"Of course he couldn't," scoffed Uncle Vernon, "Who'd want a scraggily little freak like him?"

Anger flashed through Harry, but he hid it by taking another bite of potatoes and going back to ignoring the family.

Dudley wasn't satisfied with this and kept badgering Harry daily over it, when he wasn't bragging about the girl. It had gotten so that Harry truly doubted that Dudley had a girlfriend, never mind a girl that would have anything to do with him. 

One day, a couple of weeks after the summer had begun, Harry had enough of his cousin's bullying and decided to tell him exactly what he thought.

"Of course I don't have a girlfriend," Harry yelled at a surprised Dudley. "I have better things to do with my time than date some girl who likes my fame in the wizarding world better than me! And I don't think you have one either. You probably have never even spoken to her and if you did I doubt she'd do more than turn her back on you!"

Harry was for what was quite possibly the first time in his life spiteful as he gave a meaningful look at Dudley's overflowing middle. Dudley looked shocked, then his face fell in angry hate, before he smiled a cruel smile.

"Mum! Mum! Harry said I couldn't get a girlfriend..." Dudley yelled as he waddled as fast as he could, fake tears falling down his face. 

And so it was that Harry was boxed into the wall by his uncle before being locked in his room. Even Hedwig was locked away in her cage and the bars that the Weasleys had torn off the summer before Harry's second year were replaced. Dudley became a regular visitor, taunting Harry through the door, gloating with the knowledge that if Harry said anything in return Uncle Vernon would come back to "discard" of Hedwig. 

Harry looked at Hedwig and shivered at the thought. He knew it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for him, but Hedwig at the moment was his only friend. And even if she wasn't, he still loved her. She'd been with him since he first discovered he was a wizard. He hated the thought of losing her.

The threat of his god father no longer worked since the Dursley's believed he couldn't contact him and had decided that he might not even have one. Harry knew he was in trouble now and only hoped it did not take Ron or Hermione or Sirius long to realize something had gone wrong. They were his only hope. 

Harry sighed as he curled up on his bed. Aunt Petunia called for Dudley to come have dinner and Harry's stomach grumbled with hunger. He knew Aunt Petunia wouldn't feed him again until the morning, but he hoped for some mercy anyway. 

Harry lay in bed and watched the sky darken as the sun set. His homework was already finished since he'd been left his books and had so much time on his hands, so watching the sunset and talking to Hedwig was all he had left. He listened as the Dursley's finished watching their evening programs and went to bed with a final taunt from Dudley. He wasn't tired, just bored, so he decided to write another letter to one of his friends.

Without anything else to do, Harry had started writing letters to his friends and godfather. After two weeks of imprisonment, it was all he had to keep him entertained and so the letters had turned into little more than diary entries. 

Harry had only begun to write when a horrible crunching noise resounded through the house, overtaking even Uncle Vernon's loud snoring.

"What," Uncle Vernon cried as Harry heard him stamping into the hallway. 

Aunt Petunia began screaming as a calm, low voice said, "Crucio!"

Harry heard Uncle Vernon begin screaming and ran to find his wand.

"Alohomora," he cried, opening Hedwig's cage and dodging as she flew screeching from her cage. 

He turned to face the door as he heard a magnificent CRASH that silenced all the screaming suddenly. A grim smile crossed his face as he imagined Dudley fainting on his Aunt and Uncle, but he wiped it away soon after he heard footsteps approaching his room.

"Find Sirius," he told the suddenly silent owl. Hedwig seemed to understand and flew from the room in a sudden burst of feathers as the door opened. Startled shouts sounded from the hall as Harry ran toward the Deatheater in his doorway. 

"Expelliarmus," Harry shouted as the dark wizard brought his wand up to bear. The wand flew out of his hand and Harry followed his first spell up with another. 

"Impedimenta!"

The man flew back into four more startled Deatheaters and Harry flew past them all. He ran out into the starlit night before the Deatheaters could catch him.

A well-aimed "Crucio!" hit Harry's zig-zaging figure and he went down screaming. Another spell and he was tightly bound.

"Help," Harry screamed before gasping at the sign of the dark mark that hung in the darkness over Mrs. Figg's house. He screamed even more loudly as it was placed over his own before yet another spell sent him into an even more complete darkness.


	2. The Reaction

Thanks for the reviews! And sorry Aquaria, but I don't usually write fan fiction romances that are not explicitly present in the stories that I'm writing on. Sorry.

  
  


Arthur Weasley stood watching the men from St Mungo's as they finished preparing the Dursley's for transport to the hospital. All three had been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse several times until Dudley had finally lost consciousness and fallen on the older Dursley's, crushing them and knocking them unconscious as well. Mr. Weasley supposed that that was what had saved the family; their attackers must have thought the boy's heart had given out and had killed his parents when he fell on them.

Mr. Weasley chuckled, the boy had only passed out and his father had simply been knocked out when his killer-whale sized son fell on him. His face grew grim again as he remembered the sadder aspects of the Muggles' salvation. Mrs. Dursley had broken her back in the fall and all three were severely injured by the curses themselves. This all made for a predicament that Mr. Weasley found both frustrating and heartbreaking. 

Harry Potter was missing from a home that currently had a dark mark floating above it and these people were the only real clue they had to finding him. Unfortunately, until they woke up, the ministry's only hint to what had happened tonight was the dark mark in the sky.

Mr. Weasley sighed, he'd already helped take care of the Muggle neighbors and now he wondered what he would tell his family. Ron would be especially heartbroken to learn what had become of his best friend. Ginny too, she'd had a crush on the boy for years now, though Harry, a typical young man, had never noticed. Molly would be crushed as well, she thought of Harry as another son. For that matter, the entire family had all but adopted him. 

"Excuse me," said a young wizard as he toted Harry's trunk containing all his earthly possessions from his room.

"Is that all of Harry's things," Mr. Weasley asked him.

The wizard looked surprised for a moment, "Yes, I think so, but -"

"I'll take them," Mr. Weasley said firmly.

The young man looked uncertain a moment before finally relinquishing the trunk, "Yes, sir."

Mr. Weasley made it home finally an hour later. Ron looked curiously at the trunk his father had with him.

"What's in the trunk, Dad," Fred asked, coming up behind Ron.

"It looks like Harry's trunk," Ron said, a feeling like a boulder settling in the pit of his stomach.

"Yeah, it does," George agreed, his voice taking on the somber note that was beginning to permeate the kitchen.

"Harry? Is Harry here, Dad," Ginny asked coming in, her mother right behind her.

Mr. Weasley looked at his wife sadly as he gently answered his children, "Harry is not here. We don't know where Harry is."

Disbelieving silence reigned in the kitchen for a moment before Mrs. Weasley asked, "What happened, Arthur?"

"Deatheaters attacked his home last night. There's no sign of Harry, but his family is in St Mungo's after having been tortured by the Cruciatus Curse," Mr. Weasley told them.

Mrs. Weasley gasped as Ginny started crying. The twins simply looked dumb-struck as Ron lowered his head so his face wouldn't be seen.

"Is he..." Ron began quietly.

"We don't know," Mr. Weasley answered. "He's just gone."

  
  


***********************************************************************

  
  


Snape hurried to Dumbledore's office, his robes billowing behind him as he walked. Dumbledore had sent him a message that he needed to see him urgently and at this time of the year that could only mean one thing, Voldemort. 

He stopped just long enough to utter the password to the stone gargoyle leading to Dumbledore's office and then he was off again. Up the stairs and into the crowded office. Hagrid and McGonagall were already which surprised Snape.

"What is going on," he asked in a surly voice.

"Ah, Severus, you've arrived," came a tired voice that Snape recognized only from 14 years of memory. 

"Now will you tell us what is wrong, Albus," McGonagall asked impatiently.

"Yes, now that Severus is here, I can share with you my grave news,"Dumbledore said gravely. He paused and took a deep breath. 

"Last night Voldemort attacked again. He killed Arabella Figg and tortured the Muggle family Harry lives with," Dumbledore said. He paused again, as though unsure of how to continue.

"Is Harry dead," Hagrid rumbled in a low voice. His face was white over beard and his eyes were wide. Snape idly hoped Hagrid didn't pick now to have his knees give out, there wasn't enough room in Dumbledore's office for Hagrid to safely fall.

"We don't know, Hagrid," answered Dumbledore. "There's no sign of Harry. There is a sign of a struggle in his room and lower level magic that he might use was detected, but none of the neighbors saw anything that happened. One woke up to screaming, but that doesn't tell us much."

"So the stupid boy's been taken then," Snape said rhetorically, his lip curled in disgust.

Dumbledore simply nodded and watched as McGonagall sat down - in a seat as far from Hagrid as possible. Snape's mouth twisted in a ghost of a smile as he noticed this and wondered if he should do the same. Hagrid now looked as though he would fall at any moment.

"Poor Harry," Hagrid cried, but he made his way over to a chair that looked as though it could him. Once there he hung his head and sobbed, "He was too young to die!"

"We don't know that he's dead, Hagrid," Dumbledore told him firmly. The three professors all looked up at him in surprise. 

"You don't seriously think he'd let Harry live," McGonagall asked incredulously.

"I refuse to believe Harry is dead until I have proof," Dumbledore told her.

"But how will we ever get proof," she asked him. "No one who went missing after an attack has ever been seen again."

Dumbledore simply looked tired and sighed, "We will see."

"I'll see what I can find out," Snape told him suddenly.

Dumbledore looked over at him surprised, then nodded. At his nod, Snape swept from the room holding his left arm.

"Stupid Potter. He's going to get us both killed at this rate," Snape muttered darkly as he went to answer his master's calling.

Next Chapter: The Why


	3. The Why

Wow, I'm actually writing quickly. Especially considering my two day migraine. Oh well, please excuse any grammatical errors. Tried to catch them all, but for this chapter and chapter 2, I was a bit more distracted from my grammar and spelling checks then usual. I will fix them later. As well as make chapter 1 a little prettier. Glad you like my story, hope you continue to enjoy!

  
  


Snape stood examining the carcasses of the five men who had posed as Deatheaters, though he was careful never to lose sight of the Dark Lord.

Voldemort walked in a circle around the bodies glaring at his servants with angry red eyes. He was waiting for an answer to his question, "Who were these men?"

The men did not look familiar to Snape and, as someone had yet to speak up, it seemed they held no idea who they were either. Voldemort was gowing angrier by the moment and there was no one who could calm him. Even if there was, no one could approach him as angry as he was now.

The fools had actually thought to ingratiate themselves to Voldemort by capturing Harry Potter. Even if this was a good plan, they had messed up royally when they had first hidden Harry to bargain with and then barged in on the Dark Lord. Still, they might have survived if they had only told Voldemort what he'd wanted to know instead of panicking and attacking him. 

Snape had now changed his mind, it was these dead fools who were going to get him killed.

"Crucio," Voldemort surprised them all by cursing Malfoy suddenly. Malfoy screamed and fell writhing to the ground. Voldemort did not let up for a full minute.

"An easier question then," Voldemort continued as though there were not a gasping, weeping man on the ground. "How did they defeat the defenses around Harry Potter? Where did they learn of my whereabouts?"

Again no answer. This time, however, the feeling was permeated by fear brought on by Malfoy's whimpers that could still be heard.

"Don't know," Voldemort almost asked lazily. He raised his wand again and just as lazily cursed McNair as well. 

"Find out," Voldemort told them tightly. "And bring me Harry Potter."

The Deatheaters nodded and disapparated one after another until only Snape and Wormtail remained with the Dark Lord.

"Yes, Professor Snape," Voldemort said, clearly still angry.

"May I have a closer look, My Lord," Snape asked as meekly as he could.

"Why," asked Wormtail, clearly surprised that anyone would remain near the Dark Lord any longer than necessary.

"Fool," exploded Voldemort at him. Both Wormtail and Snape cringed, unsure of who he was angry with. "He wishes to view the bodies to better serve my wishes."

"You may approach, Snape," Voldemort told him, turning away from Wormtail.

Snape nodded and slowly approached the bodies. He slowly began to search their pockets for a clue of any kind. He didn't find one until he reached the fourth one. Inside his pocket was a set of directions.

The directions were mainly washed out, but if Snape looked hard enough he thought he could make out what looked like the name of some cliffs. This coupled with the smell and feel of salt water brought Snape to believe that he could find Harry. Or at least a clue to where he was.

"You've found something," Voldemort impatient voice cut into Snape's thoughts.

"Yes, My Lord," he replied standing and turning to face Voldemort. "I believe I have."

Snape meekly bowed his head, "With your permission, I will try to follow up on it."

"I want results, Snape. Quickly," the dark lord replied as a dismissal. 

Snape disapparated as soon as Voldemort had turned his back on him

.

***********************************************************************

Harry awoke to find himself tied up in a very dark, very damp cavern. By what sounded like crashing water, he decided he was also somewhere by the sea. There was a small sliver of light peeking through darkness that told Harry that it was day, but other than that he was entirely lost to where he was and what had happened.

He couldn't see much due to the darkness, but it didn't take him long to determine two more things about his predicament. First of all it seemed he was alone, but he couldn't be entirely sure of this since, two, he had somehow lost his glasses. 

"Hello," Harry called out to the blurry darkness. 

There was no answer but for the crashing of the waves. 

Harry sighed and tried struggling with the ropes a bit, but they were too tight and too well tied to come undone so easily. So he finally relaxed and waited to see what would happen next. Perhaps someone would come along that could help him...

  
  


Next Chapter: The Search 


	4. The Search

Next Chapter will be a little longer in coming. Going to revise the first four chapters first. Enjoy!

  
  
  
  


Snape didn't bother with reporting to Dumbledore or even changing into Muggle clothing, his sense of urgency had caused him to throw caution to the winds. He knew that by the time he reached the White Cliffs night would have already fallen and the sense of urgency that was creeping over him forced him to abandon reason.

"Stupid Potter, always knows exactly where to find trouble," Snape said when he finally stood looking over the dark cliffs at the sea. 

He brought out his wand and sighed, "Lumos." The wand lit up the night, showing the steepness of the cliffs.

Snape cursed and decided to start trying to find a way down. It was unlikely that they would hide Harry in the open which meant they were probably either camped out in the cliffs or in a nearby hotel. Any hotel would work against them since there would be witnesses to track them by, a cavern was their only real choice. 

Even still the boy might be hidden by an invisibility cloak. But the very reason why this wouldn't help them in a hotel would help Snape find Harry. Unless they kept the boy unconscious, even gagged he could make enough noise to attract attention.

It took Snape the better part of an hour of searching to locate a way down the cliffs in the dark. He cursed as he carefully worked his way down, "That boy had better not be in a hotel somewhere." 

Snape imagined Harry curled up in a bed, hidden in an invisibility cloak and scowled. He hated the thought that the boy was more comfortable than he was at the moment.

Then the vision of Harry hurt, bound and gagged, possibly unconscious, popped into his and the old concern came back, causing Snape to speed up and scowl deeper. He didn't understand why he cared for his old arch-rival's son, the reason of an unpaid debt was no longer viable. He had settled that debt four years ago. 

Dumbledore had told him it was because of his retaining a good heart. That reason made him laugh, if he had contained a good heart in the first place he wouldn't have joined Voldemort and he wouldn't be the insufferable git he was today. No, he couldn't have a good heart, or anything else for that matter.

As per usual, a twinge of doubt at his certainty of his own worthlessness surfaced. Why had he turned back if he hadn't cared? If he hadn't something in him that was salvageable enough for Dumbledore to bring him back?

Snape shook his head and nearly tripped over his own feet, cursing at his foolishness. That boy really would be the end of him one day. 

He'd come to the end of the path and now stood at the base of the cliffs, but his mind still whirled.

'If I really think he'll get me killed, if I really loathe him that much, why am I here,' Snape asked himself. He found he couldn't answer, a fact that infuriated him more than anything else. The stupid fool was always making fun of him, granting him every kind of disrespect and getting into more trouble - 

"Into," Snape growled to himself, breaking the beachy silence. Didn't he mean got away with more trouble? It was true that he had had his fair share of fitting into both categories, but why didn't he truly hold it against him that he would get away with it?

Because when Harry got away with it he was still safe. It was when he was getting into his mischief that Harry really scared Snape. And admitting it, even to himself, scared Snape even more.

When had he come to care about what happened to Potter's son?

  
  


***********************************************************************

Dumbledore sat in front of a stricken Sirius Black, beside whom stood Remus Lupin, who had refused to allow his last friend to travel to Hogwarts alone in his current state of mind. Hedwig hooted sadly from the perch she shared with Fawkes, who cooed every once in awhile for the room's other occupants.

"Do we have any idea where Harry is," Sirius weakly asked his old teacher.

"We only know that it had to be Deatheaters that took Harry, but since his body was not found and the Dursley's managed to survive, Voldemort must not have accompanied them on the raid," Dumbledore said with a sigh and shake of the head.

"Then how are we sure it was Deatheaters and not someone else just wanting to get in good with You-Know-Who,"Sirius asked desperately, his haunted eyes shining with unshed tears and reflecting even more ghosts than usual.

"Sirius..." Lupin chided his friend gently, knowing his friend was not thinking very clearly. 

Dumbledore shook his head, "No, Sirius. Even if that were true, Harry would be in Voldemort's hands by now and we would have word of his death."

At the word "death," Sirius broke. Tears began to stream down his face and he stood in jerky motions. Shrugging off Lupin's hand from his shoulders, Sirius moved to take refuge in a wall.

Lupin sighed and sank down in Sirius' place while Dumbledore pretended to find the ceiling of great interest. Unseen by any of the room's occupants, a tear fell from the corner of the older man's eye as well.

After a few minutes, Sirius calmed enough to speak again.

"What do we do now? I have to find him," Sirius said in a ragged, tired voice. 

"I don't -" Lupin began, but fell silent at a wave of Dumbledore's hand.

"Perhaps you could reinvestigate Arabella Figg and the Dursley's house for evidence," Dumbledore told him. "Perhaps an intelligent dog will turn up something the ministry couldn't on its own."

Sirius nodded, determined to find his best friend's son before it was too late or die trying, and swiftly left the room on his errand.

"Why did you do that," Lupin asked quietly, though a sliver of angry steel could be heard in his voice. "Can't you see how badly he's taking this?"

Dumbledore nodded, his sad eyes serious. "Indeed I do, but this will help. Sirius needs to feel useful, to work through this."

"I'm going with him," Lupin told Dumbledore, swiftly standing.

"I had hoped you would," Dumbledore told his former student with a hint of the old twinkle in his eyes. 

  
  


***********************************************************************

Snape searched the cliffs until it was almost dawn before he finally happened across a just man-sized crack in the cliff wall. It was two feet off the ground and the darkness had worked to hide it from Snape before, but now that he had found it, he knew it would be the perfect place to hide a young boy. It was far enough from the normal Muggle traffic to avoid attention and wouldn't be flooded even at high-tide.

"Potter," he called into the cave. "Potter, if you're in there, answer me! I haven't the time to play around."

"Who's there," came a weak voice that could barely be recognized as Harry's.

'Harry,' Snape's mind yelled in concern as he clambered into the cave. He had to fight a little to make it past the initial entrance, but then he was in. The cave was of a good size inside, but it was also very wet. 

'That explains the weak voice,' Snape thought. Harry had probably caught a cold.

"Potter, where are you," Snape demanded as he cast the light from his wand around the cave.

"Over here, Professor," Harry answered from the shadows deeper in the cave. "But I've lost my glasses and can't tell you exactly where here is."

Snape sighed and took a step - and sighed again as he heard a loud CRACK! 

"I have found your glasses, Potter," Snape said, glaring down at the hapless twisted plastic. 

"I heard," Harry replied in as dry a voice as he could manage.

Snape ignored him and picked up the glasses. Stopping the light spell, he muttered the repair spell and relit his wand. He walked the rest of the way over to Harry, carefully this time so as not to step on anything else.

When he'd finally reached him, Snape stifled a gasp. He sincerely hoped that it was a trick of the light that caused Harry's skin to look so pale and thin, but he knew by the circles around Harry's eyes and his sunken cheeks that this condition was not so. It looked as though he'd possibly been this way for some time, in fact.

"Hold still, boy, and I will have you loose in a minute," Snape told Harry in his usual surly voice as he began to reach down to untie him.

"Oh, will you," asked a low, dangerous voice.

Snape spun around, his wand extinguished and ready in a moment, but it was too late. No sooner had he finished spinning than a strongly voiced "Expelliarmus" had unarmed him, leaving Snape to glare at the dark silhouette by the cave's entrance.

  
  


Next Chapter: The Dark Silhouette


	5. The Dark Silhouette

Thank you for the great reviews again! And may I please take this time to remind you that this story has NO slash in it. In fact, I'm not planning on including any romance. Sorry. And I'm still deciding on what my order is for the events coming up, so I don't know the title of the next chapter yet. Sorry again! But at least this got up MUCH faster than I thought it would!

  
  


"Who are you," Snape growled, enraged.

Snape's scowl darkened considerably as he studied the dark form silhouetted by the growing light of dawn. He could see that the person was small, or smaller than him, and wore a billowing robe of the concealing type the Deatheaters used. He couldn't see who it was, so he couldn't tell if he had been followed by a follower of Voldemort or by another member of the hapless kidnappers. 

"It doesn't matter who I am," said the man softly, even his voice was lost to the gruff softness. "You are both soon to join the ranks of the dead."

Snape made a sharp move to attack the figure, but a quick flare of light emitted from the man's wand brought him up short.

"Huh-uh, Snape," he said. "I'm having too much fun. And You-Know-Who will be especially pleased to learn of a traitor. I might even become his second. If I'm lucky, that is."

He muttered a quick spell and ropes sprang out, wrapping around Snape like snakes and tightening painfully. Snape let out a hiss of pain as he fell to the rocky cave floor, a sickening crack resounded through the cave.

"Professor Snape," Harry cried out, his voice filled with concern and fear. He'd never imagined that any one person could ever conquer his professor. It just wasn't something that seemed right when he thought of the sour older man.

"Oh, that didn't sound good, did it, old friend," the figure said rhetorically with a chuckle.

"Who are you," Snape demanded in a pained hiss.

"Well, you are a dead man, so it doesn't really matter," it answered. "But I think I'll play it safe and not tell you."

Snape snarled and struggled weakly with his bonds. He rolled on his back after a few more moments' struggling to ease the pain in his arm.

"That's probably broken, you know," the figure told Snape, its soft voice almost gleeful. 

"Only a Deatheater could revel in someone else's pain," Harry growled as strongly as he could manage.

The figure only laughed, "Stupid boy. The world will be well-rid of naivete such as your's."

Snape growled low in his throat, suddenly resentful that someone like this person would dare make threats against Harry. Children and reporters were one thing, they wouldn't kill him. This person not only could, but would kill Harry, and Snape wanted Harry to live. He wanted Harry to live the life he'd never had, the life that had been stolen from James and Lily. 

"Stay where you are boys," the figure continued with a laugh, "I'll be back...eventually."

With that the figure turned and climbed back out the cave entrance. 

"Professor," Harry called out hesitantly.

"What," Snape snapped, still angry and more than a little embarrassed at being caught so easily.

"A-are you alright, Professor," Harry asked him. 

"No, Potter, I am not alright," Snape snarled back. 

"Well, I didn't get us into this mess," Harry snapped back, suddenly angry. He was tired of taking the blame for the entire world.

"And why couldn't you have warned me, Potter," Snape reprimanded him, also angry now. "Surely your eyes aren't bad enough not to notice when light's being blocked."

"I couldn't see past you," Harry exclaimed, indignant.

'At least his fight hasn't left him left,'Snape thought with a grim smile. 'Yet,' he added, once again trying his bonds. He heard a scuffling coming from Harry's direction.

"What are you doing, boy," Snape snapped out again.

"Trying to get to you," Harry told him, sounding very tired and strained. "If I can find you, I might be able to untie you."

"And how might you manage that," Snape asked him. "Have you forgotten that you are bound just as tightly as I am."

"No," Harry snapped sounding so much like Snape that even Snape had to smile. "I'm going to try untying you still bound. Unless you can snap these ropes in half with your sharp wit."

"Potter," Snape said with a snarl in his voice, "have respect for your elders." He grunted as he tried his bonds again, looking for a weak spot of any kind.

His only answer was the wracking coughs produced by Harry. 

"Potter, are you dead," Snape asked after he was finished.

"No..." Harry moaned and gave another small cough, followed by a sneeze and yet another cough.

"Die on me, Potter, and I will find a potion to revive you so I can finish you off again myself," Snape snarled, concern causing him to become even more surly than usual.

  
  


Next Chapter: The Escape


	6. The Escape

Sorry this chapter took so long! Knew what I was doing, it just did not want to be written. And I'm not putting in any romance because the main reason I decided to write it is that I want to create a different kind of relationship between Harry and Snape, so romance might just get in the way and take from that storyline. Sorry. Please keep reading! ::pops up with a pout and puppy dog eyes::

Oh, and the next chapter title is tentative. I know what it will consist of, but my title doesn't seem to exactly fit. Anyway, enjoy!!

  
  


Sirius arrived at the Dursley's residence late that evening with Lupin. Both were tired from the long trip, but Sirius was driven by the need to find Harry while Lupin was likewise driven by the need to keep the last of his friends alive.

Sirius, in dog form by both prudence and Lupin's insistence, began his weary search by sniffing around the yard. For some reason he could pick up a faint scent of the ocean and chalk in some places, but he dismissed this and continued sniffing until he came to spot near the center of the yard.

In the yard's center he found Harry's scent at its strongest along with a scent of extreme fear. Sirius sat down here and whined pitifully, thinking of what his godson had to have gone through that night.

"What did you find, Snuffles," Lupin asked, walking up behind him. 

Sirius let out another high whine and pawed at the ground where Harry's smell was strongest. 

"Why don't we try sniffing around inside," Lupin told him after a minute.

Sirius nodded and, with a last look back, trotted towards the front door. Lupin opened it with a quick spell and they stepped inside. As soon as the door had closed Sirius changed back into a human with a look of absolute sorrow. 

"He was there, Remus," Sirius said in a broken voice. "He was terrified. I could smell it!"

Lupin nodded sadly, worried about how he friend was taking it. 

"It'll be alright," he soothed, placing a hand on Sirius's shoulder.

Sirius shook off Lupin's hand, "No, it won't. What if he's -" Sirius broke off and took a deep, shuddering breath.

"He's not. We'll find him," Lupin said firmly.

Sirius nodded once, "I feel like I'm back in Azkaban."

Lupin remained silent for a moment, unsure how to answer that. Finally he decided to leave it be and start back into their search.

"Come on, Sirius. Change back, maybe your nose can find something the ministry teams missed," Lupin told him gently.

Sirius nodded and changed back. He sniffed every room, snuffling and whining for a moment when he'd reached Harry's. Lupin followed a pace behind, checking over everything for something the ministry had overlooked.

"Find anything, Padfoot," Lupin asked finally.

Sirius shook his shaggy head sadly. 

  
  


"Let's try Arabella Figg's house. I read in the paper earlier that she was killed in the attack," Lupin suggested, moving toward the door.

Sirius looked surprised, but nevertheless nodded and they made their way to Arabella Figg's house.

Once there Sirius immediately started picking up a strange scent. He explored the house, ignoring Lupin's attempts to attract his attention. The scent was faint enough that he couldn't quite place it, but it didn't fit with the rest of the house. Then he placed it and discovered that it was actually two scents.

"Moony," Sirius exclaimed in excitement as he startled Lupin by suddenly changing back to human form. "The sea! I can smell the sea and an underlying scent of chalk!"

Lupin smiled at the light that suddenly blazed in Sirius's eyes, reminding him of when they were younger. It was nice seeing some sanity and hope return to his friend.

"So they're somewhere by the sea then," Lupin said thoughtfully.

"They must be," Sirius said excitedly. "Let's go! I've got to find him before it's too late."

"Wait," Lupin exclaimed, seeing that Sirius was about to transform again. "We don't know where they are still. Only that they're by the sea."

"That narrows it," Sirius told him impatiently.

"Sirius, we're on an island," Lupin reminded him in a flat voice.

Sirius looked surprised a moment and then his face fell as he realized the truth of Lupin's statement. He sighed sadly as he sank into a near-by chair.

"What was the other scent again," Lupin asked him.

"Chalk."

"Chalk," Lupin repeated, taking a seat himself. He thought of schoolrooms first, since Muggles seemed to love to use chalk for teaching their students, but that didn't fit the other scent. Unless the school was by the sea. By the sea...

"It's perfect," Lupin exclaimed, startling Sirius.

"Moony," Sirius asked surprised. 

"The White Cliffs, Padfoot," Lupin told him. "They're made of chalk! And they overlook the English Channel!" 

"Perfect," Sirius exclaimed with a grin. 

Lupin stood just as Hedwig flew in the door that they had left partially open. Hedwig flew straight to Sirius and dropped a letter in his lap. 

"What does it say," Lupin asked him as Hedwig hooted sadly and fluffed her feathers.

"It's from Dumbledore," Sirius told him. "He says that Snape's gone. Dumbledore thinks he's been captured by You-Know-Who, probably while trying to rescue Harry."

  
  


***********************************************************************

  
  


Harry woke from his illness-enforced nap to find that it had not all been a dream. His most hated teacher had actually come to rescue him - and gotten caught himself. The light twinkling in looked about as it had before, so he figured he'd only been out a short while.

"Awake, finally, I see," Snape said in an annoyed tone of voice. 

"What happened," Harry asked him, still fuzzy on the details.

"You were sick enough to pass out," Snape said angrily, once more struggling with his bonds. For a moment Harry got the idea that Snape was not angry with him, but he passed that off to delusions brought on by his illness.

"How..." Harry began to ask as he started struggling toward the blur that was his professor again, "l-long...was... I...out?"

"All day," Snape growled. "Stay still, Potter. Do you want to kill yourself?"

"All...day," Harry repeated, breathing hard. He stopped moving and looked toward the fuzzy light, "But...the light's...like...it was...before."

"It's sunset, Potter." Snape told him grouchily. 

Harry sighed, gave up, and began attempting to move toward Snape again. He was almost there, if he could just turn his body now, he'd be able to reach Snape's bonds soon.

"I thought I told you to stay still, Potter," Snape growled in a voice that would have Harry diving for cover at any other time.

Harry stopped to pant a moment and let out a moan. He was not well. He knew he was extremely sick, but at least his churning stomach kept him from feeling the hunger that had plagued him for what seemed like forever.

"You...did," Harry finally breathed, feeling as though he would be sick at any moment.

Instead of continuing his answer, Harry decided to keep moving and he finally made it to his professor.

"Where...ties..." Harry asked him, wishing he were still with the Dursley's for what must have been the first time in his life. 

"Potter," Snape sounded as though he would like nothing more than to strangle his young student, but he moved so that Harry's grasping hands could find his ties.

Once Harry had untied enough of the ties so that Snape could move again, Sanpe shot up muttering words of murder and torture. Unfortunately, Harry could no longer tell what they were or even if they were directed at him. 

He was so tired and cold. Harry shivered and concentrated on keeping his stomach where God had meant for it to be. He groaned as Snape untied him and rolled him over. 

Snape cursed as he felt Harry's burning skin, "Move, Potter. Unless you would prefer to stay here and slowly die."

"Sounds like a good idea..." Harry replied weakly.

Snape cursed again and lifted Harry in his arms. 

"Professor," Harry called as a sudden wave of nausea overcame him, "I'm gonna be sick!"

"Not on me you're not, boy," Snape said in a surly tone as he hurried towards the entrance.

Once outside, Snape laid Harry down and helped him be sick into the sand. Harry thought Snape was being extremely nice, almost like a father, as he held him up and wiped his face afterwards.

  
  


"Thank you," Harry told him weakly.

"Maybe you'll pay attention in my class from now on, Potter," Snape told him as he gave him his glasses.

It was dark now, but Harry got to his feet with Snape's help. Leaning on Snape heavily, they began walking away again as Harry wondered what was going on for the first time since Snape had found him. 

"Profes-," Harry began when a sudden blackness began to overtake him.

"Potter," Harry heard Snape yell as he felt himself slip down.

Harry hit the soft sand and wondered briefly at the look of concern on Snape's face as the darkness finally finalized its hold on him once again.

  
  


Next Chapter: The New Search 


	7. The New Search

Ok, Chapter 7 should be at least another page long, but I decided to split the last part off to start Chapter 8. Sufficed to say, Chapter 8 will be up shortly after this chapter. If it's not when you read this, try again shortly. It shouldn't take me long to finish it and edit it for reading.

  
  


The dark figure slowly walked back down the cliffs, watching the path carefully so that it wouldn't trip. It was dark now and the trail was rocky enough to send anyone tumbling in a hurry.

The dark figure's attention was so focused, in fact, that it did not notice the two other figures that stood in the shadows watching it pass down the path. The figure didn't even allow its mind to contemplate its own precarious position until it'd reached the beach. There it was safe, safe to contemplate what the Dark Lord would do tomorrow night when he received the turncoat and Harry Potter. 

An evil smile stretched the dark figure's pale face hidden deep in its cowl as it imagined success. The Dark Lord would probably make it his top man. And perhaps even skip the requisite torture in doing so.

The dark figure decided it liked that idea better than what would happen if the dark lord was still angry about what its comrades had tried to do. 

"Fools," the dark figure muttered as it finally reached the cave. 

It climbed inside and was met with visions of the dark lord's displeasure instead of the misery of its captives, since there were no longer any captives there to be miserable.

"No," the figure screamed in horror. "He'll be here tomorrow night! They have to be here, or I'm dead!"

A quick search of the cave turned up no evidence, but tumbling out of the cave did. It fell right next to a badly covered up puddle of throw up and blood.

The figure grinned in a moment of hope. The two would be slowed down by the boy's illness. It still stood a chance!

  
  


***********************************************************************

Snape half carried, half dragged an unconscious Harry up the path back to civilization. He ignored the pain in his wrist, which probably was broken from his earlier fall if not from further injury during his panicked lifting of Harry in the cave, and held Harry's body a little closer to himself.

Snape was seriously worried about the boy. He'd noticed when he was throwing up that blood was also coming up. And there was also the fact that he had passed out twice already. Snape had to find a wizard's house quickly before Harry died.

Snape shuddered at the thought of Harry dying. He might have done everything possible to make the boy's life miserable, but he could not reconcile the idea of him dying. Harry was supposed to be blessed, nothing could touch him. But life wasn't so neatly put together that Harry would never be touched, he could be and would be. And this time, if it did, it would be his, Severus Snape's, fault. 

He shouldn't have allowed them to be caught mid-rescue. That was the stupidest move he'd ever made, right next to his joining You-Know-Who all those years ago. If he had only paid more attention to his surroundings, then he'd have had Harry back at the castle and in Poppy's capable hands by now. 

Harry began squirming against him and Snape stepped off to the side of the path to lay him down the soft grass that lined it. They were on the path back into town and the pub that Snape had arrived at by floo-powder. 

"Potter," Snape said softly, hoping to not attract any attention. Their captor would know they were gone and be on their trail by now. 

Harry moaned and coughed weakly, a bit of blood coming up as well.

Snape cursed, "You are sick, aren't you, boy?" 

Harry looked as surprised as Snape felt at his unaccustomed soft tone of voice. He was actually being nice!

"Professor," Harry began weakly, "why are you doing this?"

"Doing what," Snape asked him surlishly as he wiped Harry's face.

"Taking care of me. Rescuing me," Harry told him.

"This may surprise you, Potter," Snape told him snappily, "but I'm not a monster. If I have to teach you, you're going to be alive for me to teach you."

Harry coughed out a little laugh, "I never slept in your class. Had to keep Malfoy busy."

Snape bit back a smile at that, the two boys always reminded him of when he went to go school. He supposed things never changed.

"Enough of this chatter," Snape told him gruffly. "We have to find a wizard's house."

Harry nodded and, with Snape's help, made his way to his feet. Together they started back off, though Snape was sure it had been faster when he was dragging Harry. For his part, Harry was doing all he could simply to continue movement and not give into the urge to regurgitate his stomach.

After about another hour Snape spied a light ahead of them. It sat in the middle of no where and, as Snape drew closer, he saw that it looked like a wizard's house. He smiled grimly and hugged Harry closer to him.

Harry groaned and squirmed, "Professor, is that a house?"

"Yes, Potter. People do not usually give off light and smoke," Snape answered as he noted the smoke that rose serenely from the house's chimney. 

Harry moaned and took a deep breath to ask, "Are we stopping here?"

Snape stopped to consider the question. He had been needing to find a wizard's fireplace to make it back to the castle, but he'd been planning on using the one he'd come here by. He knew that fireplace to be safe without a doubt, this house he did not know was safe. Perhaps this was where the remaining member of the kidnapers lived, as he couldn't see anyone who wanted to deal with Voldemort going near any of the Muggle inns in the area. 

Snape looked back down at Harry and shook his head. Harry was soaked in his own sweat and felt as though he would burst into flames at any moment. He was obviously dead on his feet, and his constant coughing and dry heaves had Snape believing that the phrase might soon be more than metaphorical.

Snape sighed and lifted Harry into a better position under his arm, noting how very small the boy seemed. He started forward again, eliciting a pained gasp of surprise from Harry. 

"We're going in," Snape growled in defeat. But he silently vowed to make absolutely sure the house was safe before dragging Harry inside.

They reached the house not long after and Snape made straight for a clump of bushes under a window. 

"Stay here," Snape told him. "I will be back shortly."

"But, Professor," Harry protested, struggling to sit back up.

"Potter, do as you're told for once in your miserable life before you finally succeed in getting us both killed," Snape growled viciously at him.

Harry looked extremely surprised and vaguely defiant before he settled back into the bushes and quietly allowed his professor to cover him with the bush.

Snape had just finished and was walking away, thankful that the boy had finally done as he'd told him to, when a soft voice called out, "Professor Snape...?"

Snape growled and swung back around, ready to tell the fool off when Harry's next words brought him up short.

"Please be careful."

No one, not even Dumbledore, had ever been able to stop Snape in his full tirade mode, but Snape was amazed to discover that this was exactly what the Potter boy had done. With three simple, softly spoken words, Harry Potter had stopped Professor Severus Snape in his tracks and even caused a bit of warmth to creep into his long frozen heart.

Unsure of how to answer, Snape turned back to his task and crept nervously around to the front of the house, certain that he'd be seen by the Deatheater wanna-be at any moment.

  
  


Next Chapter: The House


	8. The House

Ok, Here's Chapter 8. So, should I wait til my school starts up again to post the next chapter?? ::grins evilly::

Oh, And I will be editing again, so it once again might take a short while to get the next chapter up. Sorry!

Snape crept up to the front door and knocked, feeling as though he were a piece of bait Hagrid used to lure animals into his traps. Though he knew very well that if he was caught, Hagrid's humane techniques would not be put into use. Snape did not wish to die that way and knew he couldn't or Harry would die too. Somehow, that prospect was now bleaker to him than it had been before Harry's earlier plea.

Snape shifted his weight and for once wished he had been on better terms with both Harry and his parents. Then they wouldn't be in this predicament. 

He quickly squelched that wish as he soon as he realized what he was thinking. The boy was getting to him too. Before he knew it he'd be part of Potter's fan club, giving him an easy ride to his grave. 

Still, Snape couldn't stop the shudder that passed through him at the thought of Harry's death, but he put it off to the slight chill in the night sea air.

No one answered the door, but Snape could see through a window in the door that it was definitely a wizard's home. He could see a winter robe hanging on a coat hanger in the front hall and a candle floating unlit above the hall's center.

Snape glanced around him at the surrounding darkness, looking for any sign that someone he didn't want finding him had heard his earlier knock. He could see no one and so decided it safe to knock more loudly, just in case the house's occupants had simply gone to bed early.

When it became clear to him that again no answer was forthcoming, Snape looked around him for a sign of life. There was none once more. He crept around the side of the house, checking each window he came to in case one had been left unlocked. Finally, after what seemed to be hours of tedious searching, he found one that had not only been left unlocked, but open.

Once more glancing around for anyone that could see him, both inside and outside the house, Snape crawled through the window. A sense of urgency was driving him to undignified lengths to get out of sight quickly and an even more urgent need was driving him to find a way to get Harry out of danger.

Snape had been right in assuming that this was a wizarding house. An assumption that was immediately justified when he saw the fire in the fireplace that was located in the room next to the one he'd in by. It was a large blue fire that was kept magically in place so that it could burn at all hours without the owner worrying over whether or not it would spread to the rest of the house. 

On the mantle rested trinkets, most of which were for the fireplace itself. Snape walked quickly over to these and picked up a square, red jar and found it full of floo powder. Snape smirked in triumph at his discovery and had lifted his hand to replace the jar when he saw it - his wand.

His wand lay just behind where the jar had been and resting beside it was Harry's wand.

Snape's eyes widened and his smirk faded away to his usual sour expression. He reached up and took his wand down from the mantle, along with Harry's, before replacing the jar of floo powder.

Forcing himself to act, rather than contemplate the situation, he quickly hid his wand within his robes and made for the window that Harry lay under. He quickly opened the window and raised himself into it, preparing to jump out it. 

"You picked the wrong house, you know," came the soft voice of their former captor from behind Snape. 

Snape snapped his head around at the voice. There is the darkness of the front hall stood the still cloaked dark figure, its wand raised and ready.

"You..." Snape growled for lack of anything else to say.

"Yes, me," the dark figure laughed. 

"So, where's the boy," asked the dark figure, reminding Snape that Harry was safely below the window.

"Potter and I split up," Snape growled as loudly as he dared, all but throwing Harry's wand, which was in the hand hidden by his body, down. 

Snape's eyes narrowed as he heard a very weak, "Ow," but knew by the dark figure's lack of reaction that it hadn't heard anything.

"With that boy as ill as he was," the dark figure said incredulously, advancing slowly toward Snape in the near total darkness. "I sincerely doubt it. You've probably hidden him somewhere, while you went for help."

Snape strived to keep the sour look on his face as a feeling of panic threatened to engulf him.

'Harry is safe,' Snape told himself as he retorted, "You think I care how well that pitiful boy fares? I have my own life to look after."

The dark figure stood horribly still for a moment before, as though thinking, before replying with a smile in its cold voice, "No, you care for him. Or you wouldn't have bothered coming to rescue him."

"You-Know-Who ordered all the Deatheaters to find Harry Potter and capture him," Snape spat angrily.

"He had already been captured for You-Know-Who," snapped the dark figure angrily. "I had it all under control!"

"All under control," Snape drawled. "He was dying and the Dark Lord wants Potter alive so that he can kill him himself." 

"So you did hide him," the dark figure said triumphantly.

Snape cursed silently as his face screwed up in a look of utter malice. 

"I do not have Harry Potter," he growled again.

"I'll bet you do," the dark figure said, its words practically dancing in joy. "I'll even bet he's hidden in the bushes below that window."

Something suddenly snapped within Snape and he launched himself at the dark figure. The dark figure simply shouted a curse that sent him sailing off course into the wall next to it. Snape slipped to the floor with blood running down his face from his now crooked, hook nose. 

The dark figure began laughing as it walked over to the window, "I see I was correct."

Snape struggled to sit up, but leaned on his broken wrist and slipped to the floor in agony. 

"Well, I'm sure a live traitor will make up for a dead Boy-Who-Lived," the figure laughed, now at the window.

"No," Snape moaned almost inaudibly. He struggled to a sitting position, his head swimming, his wrist throbbing. "Harry." 

The dark figure pointed its wand out the window and at the bushes below. 

Then, to Snape's utter horror, it cried in a high-pitched scream, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

  
  


Next Chapter: The Run


	9. The Duel

So, Is Harry dead?? Hmm... We'll see... ::evil giggle::

I'm so glad you like my story still! Please keep reviewing!! I love all your reviews! Was laughing especially hard at Panko's and Hyper Princess's this time. But I loved everyone's reviews! 

Also, I changed the title of this chapter. The storyline got away from me again... Guess you got your wish for a longer story, Lycoris! It's definitely going beyond 10 chapters!

Enjoy!

  
  


Sirius and Lupin finally arrived together at the White Wizard Inn, the inn run by wizard's which was closest to the White Cliffs, at about half past one.

Needless to say, the innkeeper was quite put out.

"What," he said sleepily as he stumbled down the stairs. "Don' ye know it's rude to arrive so late without prior warnin'?"

Lupin patted Sirius's dog head and replied soothingly, "I'm sorry, sir. We arre on urgent business, though. My dog and I are searching for a kidnaped boy."

That barely phased the innkeeper, but his wife, who had followed him, gasped and held her housecoat closer to her chest.

"The poor boy," she exclaimed. "Do you know who took him? Have you traced them here?"

Lupin nodded, "I have found reason to believe that he has been brought here. As to who took him, I am not at liberty to say. Have you seen anyone suspicious here lately, ma'am?"

"Besides you," snorted the man. "No."

"Well..." said the woman, thoughtfully, "there was that one man. He had pale, sallow skin and greasy hair. Thought he could do with a good shampoo and dinner myself, he was awfully thin."

Lupin had to smile at that, not only did he know who she was talking about, but saw where she had gotten the idea. The woman was quite plump and probably thought everyone should be just as plump unless they were starving.

"He was alone, though," she continued. "He really only caught my attention because he was in such a hurry."

"How long ago did he come through," Lupin asked her.

"At a decent time, unlike some people," the innkeeper said snippishly. Obviously he did not like having his sleep interrupted.

"John," his wife gasped. "Think of that poor boy, what his parents must be going through."

She turned back to Lupin and Sirius, "He came through at about dinner time. Haven't seen him since, though."

"Thank you," Lupin said. "And may I inquire of you one more thing?"

The woman smiled widely, her grin splitting her round face nearly in half, while her husband scowled. He REALLY did not like having his sleep disturbed.

"Go right on ahead, young man," she told Lupin.

"Which way is the White Cliffs, please," Lupin asked as politely as he could.

"Follow the path to the right once you leave here," the innkeeper's wife told him.

"Thank you," Lupin told her and her husband with a nod. "Sorry to disturb you so late. Good night."

"Good night, indeed. It's morning," the innkeeper said surlishly.

"You make sure to find that poor boy, now," the woman called after Lupin as he left with Sirius.

Lupin just nodded politely and continued on his way out the door and down the path.

"Well," said Sirius, transforming as soon as they were out of sight, "at least we're on the right track."

"Yes," Lupin agreed. "Severus must have found Harry and been captured."

"Where we find the git, we will find Harry," Sirius agreed before transforming back into a dog.

The two picked up their pace, a sense of urgency falling over them once more.

  
  


***********************************************************************

It took Snape a moment to realize that the screaming in his head was in his own voice. It took him a moment longer to realize that the screaming wasn't in his head. It filled the room, his ears and even invaded the night outside, startling sleeping birds from near-by trees.

"I knew he would be there," the dark figure said when the scream had quieted.

Shaking began to overtake Snape as he dispassionately watched the dark figure stand and laugh triumphantly. Aside from the shaking, he could feel nothing and soon even the shaking disappeared. 

The dark figure's laughing began to die down and it turned back to the window, "Let's see how everyone's favorite Boy-Who-Lived looks in the arms of death. Quite sweet, I sup -"

"What," screamed the dark figure suddenly, taking a quick step toward the window.

Feeling flooded back into Snape in an overwhelming rush. He whipped his wand out and, pointing it at his enemy, screamed, "Crucio!"

Now it was the dark figure who screamed, even as he disappeared headfirst out the window.

"That was my boy," Snape growled angrily as he got to his feet. 

Anger had cleared his head and eradicated whatever pain remained from his injuries. Snape fund himself capable of only feeling hatred toward the one who had killed Harry Potter. Harry Potter, who was not The-Boy-Who-Lived but was Harry Potter, the boy who had stolen Snape's heart somehow. Who had crept into his soul and become like his son. 

Snape was furious. He was furious at himself for not realizing how much he had cared for Harry, for not realizing why he still protected Harry even with his debt to Harry's father repaid. 

He walked outside, not even really realizing what he was doing even as he crossed the threshold of the front door. He walked in a red haze until he made it to the bushes where the dark figure had fallen, where Snape had left Harry. There his vision and mind cleared as he realized that neither Harry nor the dark figure were anywhere to be found.

Frantically, he threw his gaze around, searching for Harry. Snape would not allow the dark lord even his body. He at least wanted to give Harry a proper burial; You-Know-Who could not deprive the boy of that. 

"He's not there, said the voice of the dark figure. 

Snape whirled around, bringing up his wand and shouting out a curse even as the dark figure shouted a curse. The curses met mid-way, deflected each other and cut trees in half as they flew wildly off-course.

"Where's Harry," Snape snarled, wand still raised and ready.

"Why don't you tell me," the dark figure snarled back.

For a moment, Snape was taken aback, but realized it for a trick when the dark figure shot out another curse. He dodged into near-by tress and ran for it.

Around the house, hoping for a bit of luck, and back to where the dark figure should be. He'd hoped to catch it from behind, but the dark figure was gone. Snape glared around the yard for a moment before taking cover in the trees once more.

He found a good spot to watch and wait for the dark figure's next move and had no sooner settled into it than he heard an annoyed voice behind him.

"Finally. I thought you would never stop running around."

  
  


Next Chapter: The Run (for real this time)


	10. The Run

Ok, Chapter Ten. And I lots of reviews. Wow...Amazing.... Just so you know though, either this or next chapter might be delayed by my going back to school Sunday. I do have to prepare, after all. But it won't be too long in coming, like a month or something. Lycoris is my taskmaster ::glances over at her with her whip in hand, muttering, "Slavedriver...":: and she won't let me go long without a new chapter... Or she might never get the next chapter of her story out. ::Whimpers at the thought::

Panko, I actually liked your review last time. Liked it again this time. Yours too Hyper Princess. And everyone else's as well, there's just too many of you. But thank you! Especially you guys that have been reviewing for like forever, like SasseeSam, Kelzery and Sandrine Black. 

Kelzery: I don't know why you couldn't access my story from the main list, but when I searched for it, it was there. Number 123 at the time. Must have been ff.net playing mind games again. They love to do that.

Zephyr: I'll explain the blood later, promise...

Alan: I think you had the same problem as Kelzery. But I reloaded both chapters just in case.

Enjoy everybody!

  
  


The sea crashed ashore, blissfully unaware that by its next tide the fates of those it could not see would be decided. Even more blissfully, perhaps, was it unaware of the two figures that stood on the cliffs that stood watch over the sea's shore, plotting the demise of these fates.

The smaller of the two figures cowered beside the taller as he pulled back the hood of his cloak and surveyed the area with a sweeping glance of his bright red eyes. 

"Master," the smaller figure poke hesitantly as he pulled his own hood to reveal his balding head. "Master, I thought they said that they would meet us here tomorrow?"

"Fool," roared the red-eyed man. "They must already be here. I will find the traitor and Harry Potter and kill the imbecile that thinks they can make deals with Lord Voldemort."

"Yes, Master, yes," conceded the smaller figure.

"Wormtail," snapped Voldemort, "go down there, you rat, and find where they have hidden the boy and traitor."

"Immediately, my Lord," answered Wormtail, seeming a bit relieved to be able to leave the presence of his dark master.

In a moment, the small man was a thin rat and scurrying along the cliff, searching desperately for a way down.

"And be quick about it," Voldemort yelled after his fearful servant before pulling his hood back up.

An eerie smile crossed his face, one capable of even freezing the sea crashing on the shore below him if it had only cared enough to notice. Harry Potter would soon be dead. And with his death, the whole wizarding world would be his, Lord Voldemort's. Soon he would rule over even that sea below him. Nothing could stop him when Harry Potter was dead.

"Soon," he muttered as he imagined the waves to be red with Harry's blood. "Soon you'll be mine."

  
  
  
  


***********************************************************************

Snape whirled around to find the owner of the soft voice standing close behind him. He fell back in surprise, which soon deepened into shock as he recognized the person who was looking just as surprised as he felt at Snape's reaction.

"Harry," Snape gasped in disbelief.

Harry grinned at Snape before a wracking cough sent him to his knees. Snape hurried over to gather him in his arms, relief flooding his very being.

"Professor," Harry asked, sounding a little strangled. Though whether that was from his coughing or his teacher's hold on him was uncertain. 

Snape shook his head and loosened his hold on Harry, but didn't let go of him. Emotion unlike anything he'd felt in years was flooding violently through his body and he couldn't release Harry entirely any more than he could stop shaking.

"Professor Snape," Harry said louder this time, sounding very frightened now. "What happened?"

"Are you alright," Snape asked after a moment of ignoring Harry's protests. 

"Same as ever," Harry replied cautiously, moving back to stare at Snape suspiciously. "What about you?"

Surprise shook Snape again as he realized how very un-Snape-like he was acting. 

'The poor boy must think his teacher's gone mad,' Snape thought, fighting a smile back.

"I'm fine, Potter," Snape told him, trying for a bit more of his usual sour tone. "How did you survive? I remember telling you to stay put."

Harry visibly calmed, though he looked vaguely disappointed, "I had fallen asleep, but when you woke me with my wand, I heard you arguing with someone, so I decided to find somewhere else to hide."

Harry looked a little nervous again towards the end of his explanation and followed it up by asking quickly, "Are you angry, Professor?"

Snape shook his head and gave Harry's shoulder a quick squeeze. He sighed as Harry looked utterly confused at his slight smile, but then smiled even more when Harry leaned back into him.

"What are we going to do now, Professor? I thought I was going to die just trying to make it into these trees from those bushes, I don't know if I can make it much farther," Harry told him honestly, though tiredly.

Snape sighed as he held Harry to him. He didn't know if he could get them out of his alive, but he did know that the fireplace in the house was Harry's only chance of survival.

"Get up, we have to get inside to the fireplace," Snape told Harry as he pulled him up.

"You're being so nice," Harry commented as he struggled to aid Snape in lifting him.

"You are not going to die on me," Snape growled fiercely.

For once that night, Harry did not flinch from Snape. He was too engrossed in the reasons and felt too sick to care any longer.

"Why not," Harry pressed.

Snape opened his mouth, about to hurry Harry along as he felt too vulnerable to answer still, when a voice broke through the night air.

"Because he loves you. You're his little boy."

Snape jumped in surprise at the sarcastic voice of the dark figure, then cursed at his being caught by surprise yet again. Harry simply looked dispassionately, though with some curiosity, at the dark figure. 

The dark figure shouted a curse at the two quickly, not wanting to leave them any time to fight back again, but Snape was ready for him. Practically carrying Harry, he dashed into the trees.

He ran through the trees, zig-zagging as he realized that Harry was incapable of the punishing pace that was needed for escape. As the end of the grove came into view, Snape stopped and pointed his wand at Harry. He magically lifted the very ill-looking boy into the trees and climbed up after him. As his feet disappeared into the leaves, the dark figure ran past. 

Snape listened as the dark figure stopped at the edge of the grove and cursed at the realization that he'd lost his quarry yet again. Soon, Snape his feet pounding back through the trees and disappearing.

Once he'd decided they were safe, Snape lifted Harry, unconscious once more, back to the ground. He stood there for a minute before moving, though. He had no idea which direction he'd taken when he had begun his head-long flight and was now thoroughly lost. 

Snape sighed as he finally picked a direction and began walking, Harry stretched out on a magically produced stretcher. He moved quickly, though he might have gone more slowly, or even picked another, any other, direction if he had known that he was heading back towards the cliffs.

And towards a very angry Dark Lord Voldemort.

  
  


Next Chapter: The Ledge


	11. The Ledge

Sorry this took so long! Had to get ready for school, get settled back in school, correct my class schedule, go to class, get my work schedule, go to work and all the other fun stuff a misunderstood college student gets to do... Not to mention my college network isn't talking to my comp so it's like pulling teeth to get online at the moment. 

Thanks for all the reviews! I hope to have the next chapter out sometime this weekend... Not sure though. Have a lot of work to do... Ahh.. The joy of being an overworked college student...

Enjoy!

  
  


The night was beautiful with a plethora of stars making up for the lack of a moon. A breeze breathed through the trees and land, smelling of the ocean it came off of. A few night creatures could be heard scurrying through the undergrowth of the near-by trees and bushes. Hoots could be heard from hungry predators as the smaller animals ventured out farther than they should from their protection.

Unfortunately, neither Snape nor Harry could enjoy the beautiful summer night. Harry had still not awakened from his last faint and Snape was too worried about his young charge to even remember to watch his path. It was therefore only surprising to him that he had walked all the way back to the cliffs.

"How did I manage this," Snape mused angrily. He was half tempted to blame Harry, since the boy seemed prone to trouble, even when in an unconscious state.

Snape sighed, frustrated. Now he had to turn around and try to make it all the way back to the inn again without meeting with a certain wanna-be deatheater. 

"You had better be worth all this trouble you've caused, boy," Snape growled at Harry. But it was only half-hearted. 

Normally Snape would resent Harry for everything that had happened, for his being unable to claim a good night's sleep, but tonight, Snape found he didn't have a heart to blame him. Harry hadn't asked for any of it to happen and Snape knew that he had been trying his best to help. However, Snape would always credit him with the ability to draw trouble from places others couldn't, so he wasn't too worried about his change of heart. Snape knew he'd always be able to find a way to blame the boy later.

'If he survives, that is,' Snape thought to himself as he brushed a lock of Harry's hair from his forehead.

Snape was still standing near the cliff's edge and so he turned to look out at the sea one final time, as though asking for strength for the both of them to survive the night, before turning back to the path he'd chosen to take back to the White Wizard Inn. He started, bringing his wand up and back, sending Harry closer to the edge than was wise, as he found himself facing the dark figure.

"Professor Severus Snape. Who knew a traitor like you could be so loyal and unwavering," the dark figure asked rhetorically.

Snape scowled and let Harry slowly drift to the ground.

"If you want a duel, you may have a duel, fool," Snape growled at the figure. He was in pain from both his wrist and a headache, worried sick over Harry, and tired of running. He was ready to fight, even if it meant he had to pretend to be Hagrid and rip this idiot apart. Especially if he could rip this idiot apart.

The dark figure laughed and raised its wand, "Duel? Why? I already have you right where I want you." It murmured a few words that Snape couldn't hear in his anger, then it raised its wand.

  
  


"See," and Snape could hear the evil glee in its question.

"Harry," Snape breathed, realization setting in, terror on its heels. He slowly turned, knowing what he'd see. 

Harry floated high above the cliff's edge, still unconscious and looking more than ever like the little boy he still was.

"Drop your wand," the dark figure told him triumphantly.

Snape let the wand slip out of his suddenly cold fingers, eyes never leaving the floating boy.

"Let him go," Snape told the dark figure in a soft voice. The voice was one that would have surprised even Dumbledore, it was cold, emotionless, as though he'd let all hope and faith float away on a breath before speaking. 

The dark figure eyed Snape for a moment, long enough that snape had turned pleading eyes on it, before it began to laugh. 

"And risk the dark lord's wrath? Never," it cried. 

"Besides, he won't survive, even if I did. Seems one of my partners got a little carried away..." it continued, bouncing Harry's body a little.

Snape's eyes darted over to Harry, but only for a moment.

"What do you mean? What did you do to him," Snape asked in a similar voice to before, only now a bit of cautious wariness had crept in.

"You -" the dark figure began, but never finished as an explosion knocked it back, its hood falling down to reveal long brown hair and the round face of a woman that looked suspiciously familiar to Snape. 

But only for a moment and the he was leaping for Harry. 

"Harry," Snape screamed as he leapt, his arm stretched out in a desperate attempt to reach Harry before he could disappear over the cliff.

For that one brief moment, nothing but himself and Harry existed. He did not notice the pain his body screamed at his movements. He did not notice the large black dog that chased after the woman towards the path down the cliff. He did not notice a very wide-eyed Remus Lupin as he ran down the path towards Snape. All he knew was that Harry was about to finally die. 

Harry began to disappear over the cliff's edge, his head down and body still limp. Snape made a last effort with the remaining courage he had and grabbed...

And caught Harry's foot.

For a moment, Snape did nothing, then he began to pull Harry back up. Snape jumped and almost dropped him as Lupin dropped down beside him to help.

Lupin pointed his wand at Harry and, with a quick spell, lifted him into the air to land gently behind them.

"What happened, Severus," Lupin asked him as he crawled over to Harry.

Snape didn't answer him. He was too busy attempting to get to Harry so he could check him over for damage. Unfortunately, he tried to put weight on his broken wrist again, and fell on his side.

"Severus," Lupin said, alarmed.

"How is he," Snape managed to hiss through the pain.

  
  


"Unconscious," Lupin answered with a sigh as he tried to coax Snape onto his back as well.

Snape wouldn't have anything to do with the werewolf's endeavors and merely continued to crawl towards Harry, saying, "They did something to Harry..." 

  
  


***********************************************************************

Sirius chased the deatheater woman down the cliffside, but he stopped before he could reach the beach.

As much as he wanted to punish the woman responsible for his godson's pain, he was calm enough to remember that he could not face the dark lord alone. Unfortunately, for the woman, she had no choice but to face him, alone and now unarmed, as she had lost her wand sometime ago.

"L-L-Lord," she stammered out, falling to her knees in fear. Sirius could see her shaking and thought vaguely hat she looked as though Hagrid were shaking her awake.

The dark lord smiled evilly as he looked at her, his crimson eyes taking in her dark robes and not missing her address of him.

"So you are the one..." he said in a low voice.

"Y-y-yes-s-s, L-L-L-L-Lord," she stammered again. "I-I-I-I a-a-am M-M-Matilda S-S-Snow."

He grinned at her, sending visible chills up both her and Sirius's backs, "I remember Snow and his wife... He was a loyal deatheater who died in my service. His wife was as well."

Voldemort lifted his wand and screamed, "Crucio!"

  
  


Next Chapter: The Hogwarts Escape


	12. The Hogwarts Escape

This took so long to get out! Sorry!! I still don't have my internet access and then I got swamped and distracted by other things... 

Anyway, we're nearing the end... But I'm seeing potential for a sequel here already. Do you all want one? Or should I just leave it at this story?

Please don't kill me too badly for this chapter. I made it extra long to make up for the doozy cliffhanger. And thank yo for the reviews! 111 so far!! THANK YOU!! Im glad you enjoy! And thanks to Harry for saving me from Hyper Princess. ::rubs throat nervously:: (Don't worry, I was laughing at the review. Was so hilarious.) And thanks for all that have been reviewing since chapter one!

Enjoy! 

A shiver raced down Sirius's back as he watched the woman, Matilda Snow, fall to the ground in agony. Once down, she writhed there as the dark lord stood watching in glee.

Voldemort laughed a high pitched laugh that made Sirius flinch from both fear and the pain the laugh inflicted on his sensitive dog hearing. He noticed Wormtail shrink back against the high cliff wall and swallowed his sudden urge to rush the rat.

"You do not blackmail Voldemort, girl," Voldemort stopped laughing to tell Snow. Snow curled herself into and ball and moaned. 

"Your parents were remiss to not teach you that," he continued before once again cursing her. 

Snow's screams this time caused the urge to howl at the pain in his ears to rise in Sirius. It was an urge he nearly gave into.

"Where is he," the dark lord venomously asked after a minute. "Don't think to hide him from me."

Snow shrunk from the dark lord in fear. She shook her head jerkily as she tried to curl further into herself. Sirius could practically feel her fear as he watched her terror-filled movements.

The air crackled with hate and pain as Voldemort cursed Snow again. This time Snow's limp figure gave one horrible shake and then stilled mid-scream. 

For one moment, Sirus thought she was dead, another victim to add to the list of Voldemort's kills, but then he saw her chest slowly rising and falling in shuddering, short breaths. Briefly, Sirius felt both relief and regret at this information.

"Rouse her," Voldemort ordered Wormtail, who was still busily hiding I the shadows of the cliff. "I want to know where Potter is and the identity of this traitor. If there is indeed a traitor."

Wormtail began hurriedly scurrying over to Snow and a wave of fear passed through Sirius. 

As much as he wanted to kill Wormtail for what he'd done, Sirius did not want to be discovered by Voldemort. He knew he couldn't defeat him, and his life meant too much to Harry for Sirius to waste it so carelessly.

Sirius turned and ran quickly back up the path, hoping that Wormtail wouldn't notice him. He ran back along the side of the cliff to where he'd left Lupin and Harry. He only hoped Harry was alright.

He suddenly remembered seeing Harry dangling high above the cliff's edge and put on another burst of speed as a feeling of desperation began to set back into his heart.

'Be alive, Harry. Please be alive,' Sirius silently pleaded. 

Soon figures kneeling on the ground came into view ahead of him and Sirius let out a happy yelp. He'd forgotten that Snape had also been there and thought that Harry and Lupin were simply sitting while they waited for him.

Sirius felt bile rise in his throat as he drew closer and saw that it was not Harry that was sitting on the ground with Lupin. It was Snape. Harry was between the two men on the ground, looking far too lifeless for Sirius's peace of mind.

Sirius skidded to a halt beside Harry's body and transformed back into his human. He reached out with a trembling hand to brush a lock of hair back from his forehead.

Harry's skin was hot, so hot that Sirius could feel the heat before his hand had even made contact with his skin. Harry's face was deathly pale with the only color coming from the slight fevered flush that tinted his cheeks. His eyes were closed with no evident eye movement that would be part of a normal sleep. His body was limp and soaked in sweat.

Sirius truly wasn't sure if his godson was breathing at first, but he soon let out a sigh of relief as he watched Harry take a shallow, shuddering breath. 

"What happened," Sirius asked, turning to look at Snape.

"They did something to him before I was able to get to him. Probably before we even heard he was missing," Snape answered hoarsely. 

Snape moved to stand and Lupin immediately moved to help him. 

"Leave me alone," Snape growled and shook him off.

Sirius frowned, anger at his friend's treatment rising even more easily then usual due to his concern for Harry.

"He's trying to help you," Sirius told Snape hotly as he too stood. "You could at least pretend to be grateful."

Snape simply looked at Sirius with unfathomable dark eyes. The look couldn't even be considered a glare, it was so emotionless, but for some reason Sirius found that it disturbed him more than anything else could have ever done.

"What did they do to Harry," Sirius asked him, striving for a menacing voice.

"I don't know," Snape said quietly. "I thought he was only sick at first. I didn't realize it was as bad as it was until we escaped the cave. Still I thought he was only sick from the when he was with the Muggles and then from the cave -"

"Cave," Lupin interrupted to ask.

"I found him hidden in a cave at the bottom of the cliffs," Snape told them.

Sirius cursed loudly, which seemed to snap Snape out of his stupor as he gave a bit of a jump and shook himself slightly.

"Why are we dawdling here," Snape growled irritably. "Every moment we waste here trying to educate the mutt is another moment of Harry's remaining time wasted."

'Harry,' Sirius thought, surprised. 'Since when did Snape call him Harry?'

Sirius opened his mouth to voice his thoughts, but closed it when Snape used his wand to magically lift Harry on an invisible stretcher, reminding him of his godson's condition once more.

"I'll take him," Lupin said, moving to take Harry from Snape with his wand. 

Snape scowled darkly at Lupin so that Lupin backed quickly off and Sirius wondered how Lupin could still be alive after such a venomous look. Anger spread through Sirius at the look, but he simply changed back into a dog. 

This was no time to start petty quarrels, they had to save Harry. They could argue later.

They walked the long trip back to the inn in relative silence, with only an occasional stop to check on both Harry and Snape. Sirius hadn't noticed before, but Snape was also badly injured. But he never allowed Lupin to take Harry from him.

Sirius wasn't sure what disturbed him more, Snape's determination to rescue Harry himself or the fact that Harry was still unconscious. And this disturbed Sirius more than anything else.

Why should he be bothered that Snape was protecting Harry so fervently. It was probably just a matter of pride for him. Everyone knew Snape hated Harry, that wasn't going to change in one night. Was it?

Tension marred an otherwise beautiful night, with hacking coughs from Harry puncturing through to add some more blatant concern and little while. When they had finally reached the door of the inn, it was only a short while past dawn, but they all felt as though it had been years since they had last rested.

Lupin stepped up to the door and knocked loudly. A loud "THUMP" was heard followed by a vehement curse in the unmistakable irate voice of the sleepy innkeeper. A few moments later, the voice was followed by his very angry face as he swung the door open.

"You again," he growled. "Couldn't you have at least waited until a decent hour?"

"No," Snape snapped before Lupin even had a chance to open his mouth. Snape was using a voice that if he had ever used in any of his classes, poor Neville Longbottom would have finally died of fear. 

"Can't you see we have a sick boy here? Move out of the way, you idiot. We have to get him help," Snape continued just as fiercely.

The innkeeper's eyes widened in fear as he stared at Snape. It began to seem as though he would never move, when suddenly he was shoved out of the way to reveal his wife.

"A boy? You found the poor child," the large woman cried, her eyes screaming with concern. "Where is he?"

"Here," Lupin told her, "but he's extremely ill. We have to use your fireplace to get help quickly."

"Oh, of course, of course," the woman exclaimed and turned to start running into the main room. "I'll go stoke the fire for you." 

Sirius followed Lupin and Snape in while giving an unforgiving growl to the innkeeper. He snickered a doggy snicker as the already jumpy man nearly leapt a foot in fear and rushed to close the front door. 

"Stop scaring the poor innkeeper, Snuffles," Lupin told him idly as he watched Snape lower Harry to a table.

"I'll take him," Lupin told Snape, when the fire was ready. "I'll be able to keep a better hold on him than you will with your broken wrist."

Snape looked like he was about to argue, but then stepped back and allowed Lupin to pick up Harry's body. The woman threw floo-powder in the fire and Lupin stepped in, cradling Harry's body against him and adjusting him for better travel. Once he had Harry securely against him, he called, "Hogsmeade," and was off.

The woman threw some more powder in the fire and smiled at Snape, "Now you take care of that boy and yourself."

"Thank you," Snape told her as he stepped into the fire with Sirius. 

Sirius allowed Snape to wrap an arm around his collar and closed his eyes as Snape hoarsely called, "Hogsmeade."

  
  


They barely stopped long enough to acknowledge Madam Rosmerta of The Three Broomsticks before they started off for Hogwarts, Snape in the lead with Harry on the magical stretcher again.

"Your very protective of Harry lately, Severus," Lupin said as though to thin air.

He might have been speaking to thin air for all that Snape acknowledged him. Snape simply continued climbing the path towards the dark, comforting shape of Hogwarts.

Finally, when they had almost reached the castle, Snape said wearily, "I won't let anything harm him while I can stop it, werewolf."

So startled were Sirius and Lupin that they missed a step and stumbled behind Snape for a moment. Sirius sat down even as Lupin continued on. His mind was a whirlwind of thought as he watched the castle doors open to admit Snape and Lupin.

Sirius knew that something had changed with Snape, but he couldn't figure out what yet. All he knew was that it scared the life out of him.

Snape and Lupin were inside now and only Dumbledore was left standing in the doorway. He stood watching Sirius with sad, serious eyes. That, even more than Snape's strange behavior, brought out a sense of terror in Sirius's heart. It was as if he'd been thrown back in Azkaban, only without the knowledge that he was innocent to protect his sanity.

Sirius stood and ran as fast as his paws would carry him inside and to the hospital wing. Once there he skidded to a stop beside Lupin, whining at the sight of Snape sitting on the bed next to Harry's. 

Sirius walked over to Harry's bedside, making sure to remain as close to Harry as possible, as though claiming him, while allowing room for Madame Pomfrey to work on Harry. 

Snape snorted at his behavior, but Sirius was horrified to also see something close to fear in the man's hardened dark eyes.

'Harry is safe,' Sirius began chanting to himself. 'I will not lose him. I will not lose my godson. James's son will not die.'

It seemed to be an eternity, but must have only been another hour of Madam Pomfrey's bustling, Sirius heard her sigh and step back. He opened his eyes and turned their worried gaze on her face, as though searching her own eyes for hope.

"Poppy," Dumbledore asked, startling Sirius for the umpteenth time that day. Sirius, for his part, did not even flinch.

"It's bad," Pomfrey said shaking her head.

'No,' Sirius silently pleaded desperately. 'Say he'll be okay. Say he'll just sleep for a little while. Say he'll have a limp for the rest of his life. Say anything but-'

And then a tremor of horror moved Sirius's body as a wave of such anguish took hold of his heart and squeezed out a long, loud howl of despair. She'd said the one thing he had not wanted to hear.

"Harry's been poisoned and I don't know the cure."

  
  


Next Chapter: The Poison


	13. The Poison

Wow...The reviews just keep coming...Thank you... 

And this is not the last chapter, there is at least two more, maybe three. I'm allowing the story to extend itself if it wants. 

Any way, hopefully the next installment won't take so long... Chapter 14 might be out as early as tomorrow evening, since I had a class cancel and so more time to write.

I will do a sequel, since people have asked me to, but that will mean that this story will have a slight cliffhanger to lead me into the next story. Nothing major, I promise, just enough to keep attention and give me something to work with. This story will have a definite ending. 

Also, how do you guys think my portrayals of the characters are? Hopefully, they aren't too out of character.

And Ja'kai: I loved your review! Critical reviews do wonders for me and my writing, even creative criticism critiques. Though I do become rather angry when criticism is not creative and is simply spiteful. Thank you.

Hyper Princess: Bruise me and... ::evil smile that scares Harry from the room::

Emma: Sorry, but AOL says it doesn't recognize your name. Did try to email you though...

Enjoy everyone!

  
  


The hospital wing was strangely silent, as though in reverence for the ultimate silence itself, Death. Each of the men and women were starkly pale to their usual appearance and seemed lost in their own grief for a moment.

Snape stood, bloody and weak by Harry's bedside, as though he were a dark angel capable of fending off Death. He seemed to be struggling with his emotions, though no one but Dumbledore would know him well-enough to tell.

Sirius now lay on Harry's feet, as though his body could stop Harry's soul from leaving his. He couldn't even whine his grief was so great, great enough to even blind him from the glare of Madame Pomfrey. Madame Pomfrey, for her part, did not care to have a dog on her patient's feet, whether they were dying or not.

Lupin simply looked stricken, his pale face even paler and his eyes never leaving either Harry or Sirius. He did not want to lose Harry like this, he was too young, but as much as he feared that, he feared another possibility more. What would happen to Sirius when Harry was gone? Harry was one of the main things that kept his friend alive, without him...

Dumbledore stood sad and solemn in the doorway, his blue eyes no longer twinkling.

"What poison is it, Poppy," Dumbledore asked quietly. It still sounded as though a bomb had gone off in the room and all its occupants flinched, save one, Harry himself. 

"It's Sycnocid, a very little known, very ancient poison," Madame Pomfrey said, still glaring at Sirius. "It hasn't been used in over a century, it's so uncommon."

Lupin suddenly chuckled, earning himself even more deadly glares from Snape and Sirius. "The poor, always making history without meaning."

"This is one entry into the books he could have done without," Madame Pomfrey agreed stiffly. "And get that dog off that bed!"

Snape smiled grimly at that and sat back down on the bed behind him. Sirius looked torn between growling at him for his amusement and glaring at Madame Pomfrey. He finally choose to growl at Madame Pomfrey as she began to try shoving his black mass of Harry's bed.

  
  


"Madame Pomfrey, I would like you to please remain calm," Dumbledore told her, startling everyone in the room. "If you would, Sirius."

Sirius obviously knew an order when he received one and so hopped on the floor. He walked a short distance away and transformed. Madame Pomfrey's reaction was immediate.

"Sirius Black," she screamed, stepping quickly back. 

One hand flailed back and hit a something on the table behind. 

"You stay away from this boy, you...you -" Sirius never found out what he was as she was too busy throwing the bottle to finish.

Sirius ducked and began racing for cover as things flew across the room to strike him. First was the bottle of ink, then the antiseptic. Soon after came a roll of gauze and a pair of scissors.

"STOP," Dumbledore yelled, walking briskly over to Madame Pomfrey and pinning her arms to her side. "Sirius was innocent of everything he was charged with, Poppy. He is not here to harm Harry."

"But-But," Madame Pomfrey stuttered.

Snape meanwhile was not even bothering to hide his delighted smirk and, much to Lupin's chagrin, Lupin found he was unable to hide a grin as well.

Sirius had stood up to reveal what damage Madame Pomfrey had done. Ink dripped down his hair and face, trailing little blue trails along his cheeks and jaw while dripping off his hair to puddle on the floor. Gauze was wrapped around his head and shoulder where it continued to wrap around an arm and fall to the floor in a grotesque parody of bloody wrappings of an alien with blue blood. The antiseptic had covered the area over his heart and turned his worn black robes to a sickly shade of dry blood brown. In his hand he held the scissors and on his face he wore an expression of indignant anger. 

All in all, Sirius Black looked like a bad artist's version of a war hero's coming home... And then waging war on his nurse. 

Even Dumbledore was unable to contain a chuckle at the mess that was Sirius.

"Madame Pomfrey," he said with laughter once again in his voice, "I find it sincerely doubtful that Sirius would ever try anything with you and this memory there to haunt him."

Madame Pomfrey giggled a little nervously and Sirius began grumbling words that Dumbledore decided were better left unheard.

"I guess he can stay then," Madame Pomfrey said reluctantly. Then, as though she had just remembered, she bustled over to Snape.

"As for you, Professor Snape," she said nearly shoving the surprised man down on the bed, "Lay down while I see to those wounds. They've gone untreated far too long."

Sirius choked down a laugh, some more ink pouring from his head in the movement, and Lupin laughed heartily at his old enemy and colleague's predicament. Dumledore's eyes gave a bright twinkle before subsiding back to somberness.

"Poppy, why can't you cure Harry," he asked, his question instantly sobering Sirius and Lupin.

Snape stopped struggling and stared intently at Madame Pomfrey, his face inscrutable. 

"So far as I know, no one has survived the poison within the past 500 years," Madame Pomfrey said, mopping Sanpe's forehead before wiping some potion on it to heal it quickly. "The cure was lost sometime before that. No one knows it now and no one knows where to begin to look for it."

  
  


Snape closed his eyes as Dumbledore nodded. Sirius stumbled over to Harry's bed where he sat down and lovingly brushed his sweat-soaked hair back from his fevered forehead. Lupin leaned against a chair by the doorway and sighed gravely. 

"I will go look through a few of my older books," Dumbledore said. Turning he told Lupin, "Remus, you look through a few of the Dark Arts books in the library."

Lupin nodded and they both left for their respective chores silently, as though afraid that any loud sound might remind Death of its grave duty.

Sirius continued to sit vigil over Harry as Snape allowed himself to be healed by Madame Pomfrey. Snape, for his part, was silently watching them both, an alien emotion in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, you know," Sirius said suddenly.

"For what, dear," Madame Pomfrey asked him.

"For trusting the wrong people and for not being there to help him, to protect him from-from this," Sirius said, his face grey and suddenly old.

"So it's my fault then," Snape said in a quiet, dangerous voice. 

Sirius shook his head sadly, he had no more energy to keep up the old fight, "You're not his godfather. You didn't trust the wrong man to switch the role of secret-keeper to."

Snape growled as Madame Pomfrey finished patching him up. 

"Now, I'm going to give you a potion to help you sleep-"

"No," Snape said, sitting up and shoving Madame Pomfrey away, "I have work to do. Unlike some, I won't just sit around and do nothing."

Sirius's tired eyes narrowed in anger, but Snape had left before he could say anything.

Madame Pomfrey hurumphed like an angry dragon before turning to Sirius. "I'm going to see Dumbledore about him. I'll have him in a bed before too long."

Sirius snickered as he wiped Harry's forehead. He was immensely glad she was angry with him.

"That boy had better be in the same condition I left him in when I get back..." she warned before storming out.

Sirius sighed sadly to himself. "Will the past ever stop haunting me," he asked Harry wearily, not expecting an answer and not receiving one.

  
  


Next Chapter: The Reflections


	14. The Reflections

Ok, I lied. This didn't get out exactly on time. Sorry.

I'm also gonna change the amount of a cliffhanger that I'll end this story with. I have plans to solve everything left undone in this story in its sequel. Promise. BTW, this is not the last chapter. I think there was some confusion with that in Chapter 11.

As always, enjoy!!

  
  


Lupin began his search with every potion book in the Dark Arts section of the library. He looked up ancient poisons, ancient mentions of poisons and their effects as well as all the counter potions known in the medieval world, both Muggle and Wizard. He could find nothing.

He knew that if they didn't find something soon, Harry would be dead. Lupin had many reasons to not want that to happen, not the least of which being that he honestly cared for the boy.

During their lessons together, Lupin had seen in Harry the same fire and talent he'd seen in James and Sirius. Even Snape, if he was ever inclined to reluctantly admit it. And it seemed that Snape himself had finally come to realize it. To an extent that even Snape himself seemed amazed.

Lupin shook his head, wondering over Snape. The cold man had never seemed so human as when Lupin and Sirius had first found him and Harry. He seemed to be almost like a worried father hovering over his sick child. 

And then when Snape had handed Harry over to Madame Pomfrey... No one would have ever expected to see such a look pass over his face at the horrified gasp that the nurse had emitted. While it was true that it was rare to catch Madame Pomfrey off her guard like that, which only reiterated how bad Harry's condition truely was, it was not a scene that should have caused Snape to react so blatantly. 

But it had.

For a moment, Lupin even went so far as to believe that the cold-hearted Snape would finally break and perhaps let a tear slide down his face. The anguish on the other wizard's face was so pronounced that Lupin was sure how he had kept from sobbing, as Lupin himself had almost wanted to cry seeing it. But then Snape's normal cold, annoyed expression had returned, though he'd followed Madame Pomfrey over to the beds to continue to watch over Harry as he at out of the way on a near-by bed.

Lupin sighed, deciding he would never understand Severus Snape. He could only hope that if Harry did indeed manage to survive, that whatever had occurred between Harry and Snape would not upset Hay's relationship with Sirius. He didn't think Sirius's heart could take that. 

Sirius was another reason Lupin did not want Harry to die. The last friend he had in the world would die and he would be alone to grieve for him. It was not a fate Lupin particularly wanted to face.

Lupin turned another page in the overly large tome and found something very interesting about halfway down the page.

  
  


The poison, Syncocid, is a very old and very virulent 

killer. It symptoms begin with a fever which slowly rises

to a dangerous degree. Then the patient begins to sweat 

and soon becomes weak, though this weakness takes its 

time in overcoming its victim. Next the patient becomes 

violently ill due to the poison beginning to destroy stomach

and esophagus tissue. 

  
  


If the victim is lucky, they will now lose consciousness.

Otherwise, they will continue to suffer in agony, their 

breathing constricted and their bodies unable to do more 

than wait for death. Soon, they will lose consciousness and 

fall into a deep sleep that will turn into the sleep of death by 

the end of a week after consciousness has been lost.

  
  


Lupin sat in shocked silence, capable only of staring at the words written on the page. After a moment he shook himself and searched frantically for any mention of a cure. There was only one line referring to it:

  
  


Only the sacrifice of loving blood may save

That which spite and hate would take.

  
  


Lupin decided then and there that he hated riddles.

With a soft sigh, Lupin marked the page and collected the book along with a few others. He could continue his search with Sirius and Harry in the Sickbay. And then he would be able to tell Madame Pomfrey about the riddle. Perhaps she would know what it meant.

  
  


***********************************************************************

  
  


Snape walked swiftly to his dungeon office. His body still ached painfully and he would like nothing more than to sleep, but he couldn't stand the thought of what would happen to Harry if he allowed himself to. He was sure he'd seen that poison in one of his books, which, if true, meant that he could probably find a cure for the fool child.

He slammed the door to his office shut behind as he finally entered it and scowled. Now he had to remember which book the poison was in. 

Snape made his way over to his books and began to shift though them, impatiently reading titles and looking for the right book. His library consisted of many old and new books on potions of all types and few could boast to have such titles as he possessed in his collection. He knew if the answer was to be found, he could find it in one of these books.

Snape leaned back with a thoughtful expression. If the poison hadn't been cured in 500 years, then it wouldn't be in any books published within the last 500 years. Just to be sure, add another hundred years to that. If Snape remembered correctly, he only had two books that fit that description.

He pulled out the first book, with a vague feeling of something being wrong. He searched the book and cursed when he found nothing. He sighed, sitting back and feeling defeated. When he pulled the next book over to him, he did so with a resigned sigh. Suddenly doubting himself and feeling as he had when he had finally come to Dumbledore and asked for his help in escaping his deatheater life, he began to read.

Approximately halfway through, he had found what he was looking for.

Sitting up quickly, his heart beating in triumph. There on the page were the directions for curing Harry - and Snape had all the ingredients. Although he'd have to raid Professor Sprouts greenhouse for one. 

He let a smug triumphant smile pass over his face, before his eyes fell on the very last ingredient, to be added an hour before the intended victim drank their salvation.

Someone had to grant Harry their blood. Blood straight from an artery. Willing blood sacrificed in order to selflessly save the life of the victim.

Snape knew the implications of this. The amount of blood needed would drain the giver, possibly killing them before the bleeding could be stopped. And all for a skinny teenager with a lightning bolt scar. 

Snape's heart raced in a panic, but then he calmed himself and stood. There would be plenty of willing donors for the boy. Sirius being the first in line. 

But he stopped. Snape stood in his doorway and asked himself why he hesitated. Harry's life was in danger and he was standing in a doorway. He had to get Sirius down here-

That was the problem. Snape didn't want Sirius to be the donor. Snape had been saved by Dumbledore once when he was next to dying, though for very different reasons. He had been saved again by three little words uttered by Harry, "Please be careful."

Snape could still see Harry's face when he'd uttered those words. He'd been so concerned for him, so worried and caring. 

Nobody had worried over Snape in years, except perhaps Dumbledore, and it had done his heart a world of good to find someone else cared.

And then Snape remembered something else, he remembered what the woman who'd held them captive had said: "Because he loves you. You're his little boy."

It was true. He did love Harry. He didn't know when or where or how it had happened, but sometime during all his sneering and constant cruelty, he'd fallen in love with the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry was like the son he'd never had. Not that he'd particularly wanted one, but he felt that he had one anyway. And now he had to save him, to give Harry the willing sacrifice of blood that would prove his redemption. 

And perhaps it would prove the redemption of a spiteful old Potions Master as well. 

Snape left his office in a determined stride, determined to find the only ingredient he had need of now.

  
  


Next Chapter: The Cure


	15. The Cure

Man! But this chapter took forever! Sorry!!

Anyway, thank you so much! Almost 200 reviews...WOW! I'm blown away...and I'm still not done! Glad you all like this!! I especially love the more technical reviews, thank you!!

Now, as for this chapter...It's a bit angsty...wonder if I should change the rating to PG-13 for it... Might, just in case. Also there's a hint at romance for Ron and Hermione. But it's only a hint and there will be no more than this coming in this story or its sequel when I write it. As I said before, this is not a romance. I'm sticking strictly to the book with this, trying for the character reactions and the hinting of the books.

This said, ENJOY!!

  
  


Hermione hurried up the path to Hogwarts trying desperately to at least keep Ron and the twins in sight. Unfortunately, their longer legs far outstripped hers for speed and she found their bodies growing smaller and more indistinct as the gap between them steadily widened.

She stopped and fell to her knees, panting, as she finally lost sight of the boys as they entered the castle. She sat for a few moments, hoping for Harry to be fine when she finally saw him. Hoping that they had been wrong when they said he was deathly ill, that he had been cured since they had received the owl telling them of his rescue.

Finally she scrambled back onto her feet and made another dash for the door, she reached it this time, only stopping once she'd reached the open doors. There she panted a moment before continuing her hurried flight straight to the hospital, where she saw finally saw him.

At first she only saw Ron and the Weasley twins standing over a bed. She walked slowly in from the doorway, her heart beating quickly while a sickening feeling spread through her stomach. 

"Ron," she asked hesitantly, knowing that had to be Harry in the bed. On a desperate whim she also called, "Harry?"

Ron turned to look at her, his face dark and long. The Weasley twins began walking to the other side of the bed to make more room for Hermione.

Hermione continued her course into the room, unknowingly passing a silent Sirius and Lupin, then stopped as Ron moved out of her line vision so she could see Harry. She saw only the still figure on the bed, pale and flushed, looking for all the world as though he were dead.

With a sob, Hermione buried her face into her hands.

"Hermione," Ron said quietly, but loud enough to break into her thoughts.

Hermione shook her head, grief having stolen her voice. She barely looked up as she dropped her hands and ran full-force into Ron.

"Oof," Ron cried as she hit him. His arms came up to embrace her in instinct, but after the initial surprise had gone, they remained there.

Hermione continued to cry for her fallen friend as Ron buried his head in her hair, ignoring his brothers' half-hearted catcalls. Not even his mother's surprised exclamation stirred the two, they stood firm in their shared grief as they silently vowed not to leave Harry's side ever again.

  
  
  
  


***********************************************************************

Snape had gathered all his ingredients together and placed them in the antidote, now he had only two tasks left. He sighed as he let the potion sit for a few more minutes over the fire and walked over to the brown school owl he had brought down with him earlier.

He picked up a letter he had written earlier and quickly attached it to the bird's leg. He didn't want to read it again. He knew it sounded too much like a suicide note and he had no wish to remind himself of the fact that he might very well not survive to see the dawn.

Snape looked back at the cauldron and felt a surge of panic rise in his heart and mind.

'What are you doing,' his survival instincts screamed at him. 'Do you really want to die for one scrawny, stupid boy? And the son of James Potter no less!'

Snape shook his head and thought of what life would be like without Harry. A lot more peaceful, to be sure. No more insolent Boy Wonder's around to break rules and give him heart attacks every year.

But then again, there'd be no more hope in the wizarding world. Harry was the wizarding world's hope because of his miraculous survival of Voldemort's attack, not because he had done anything to earn his status. He was simply a convenient vessel for a terrorized world to focus on, a light, so to speak, to lead them back out of darkness. And without that light, they would all be lost. Severus Snape included.

Snape looked down at his ancient books and remembered all of Harry's miraculous escapes from death. The memory of every single one would someday finally turn Snape's hair white, but he knew he wished for there to be more misadventures to turn Snape as white as Dumbledore. Harry was not only his hope, he was the one person Snape did not want to see finally outsmarted by death.

"Take that to Dumbledore and be quick about it," Snape snarled in a moment of courage.

He sadly watched the owl fly out the window be fore nervously reading the clock and writing down the time and when it would be safe for Harry to drink the potion.

Snape picked up a long thin knife, its wavy blade shining bright in the firelight, and with slow deliberate steps walked over to the bubbling cauldron. He quickly dampened the fire so that the potion would simmer and raised his arm over the cauldron. 

The dark mark seemed to glow maliciously on the pale white skin of his soft arm, causing Snape's courage to falter once again. Who would protect Harry without him there? But he shook himself and raised the knife, his hand shaking though his arm remained still as stone.

With one quick slash, the vein was open and dark red blood flowed out and down into the potion which changed to a bright silver. Snape watched the blood flow impassive, his emotions too strong for him to continue feeling consciously. 

"For you, Harry," he said in a voice that sounded almost like a ghost's whisper. "Live for us both."

Snape felt himself begin to slip to the floor and caught himself on the rim of the cauldron. He ignored the burning flesh against the cauldron and contrated on giving Harry as much blood as he could. Soon he found himself slipping again and this time he did not fight it. He didn't even fight it when the darkness came to embrace him in its warm, tender arms.

  
  


***********************************************************************

  
  


Dumbledore walked wearily back to the hospital. He wished to talk to Molly and Arthur Weasley about Harry and discuss the riddle Lupin had found with everyone. 

It had never crossed his mind that Snape might not be there, as he knew Madame Pomfrey to be a virtual lioness when it came to her patients and thought she would have already "persuaded" him to come back for a bit of a rest.

He was surprised, then, when he made it to the hospital wing to find Snape missing. However, he wasn't too surprised, as Snape had never been a very sentamental sort of man and therefore would not wish to remain in a room where Ron and Hermione were currently cuddled together in a chair as they stood vigil over Harry.

His blue eyes twinkled as he wondered how long it would take after they left the school for him to have a new Weasley child with bushy hair and fanatical study habits.

A brown owl flew in the room, causing Hermione to lift her head in order to glare at it as though she thought it a demon come to steal her best friend from her. Dumbledore chuckled at this as he allowed the bird to settle on his arm.

Dumbledore untied the letter from the bird's leg and allowed it to fly back to the owlery, briefly pausing to wonder who in the school would bother with an owl to speak with him. His face paled over his white beard as his eyes widened in horror.

"Severus..." he breathed disbelievingly.

"Albus," Poppy asked, looking at him, worried. The others in the room grew even more silent than before as they too realized what the look on his face foretold.

"Poppy, meet me in Severus's office," he told her quickly. "And hurry!"

Dumbledore whirled around and was gone from the room so fast that he left the other occupants blinking at his speed.

"Foolish," he said, desperately hoping he could make it in time. "Why didn't you wait for me, Severus?" 

When he finally made it to the dungeons, Dumbledore was out of breath, but he still pushed on relentlessly until he was facing the door to Snape's office. Dumbledore pushed the door open with a loud creak and stood in horror at the sight that met his eyes. 

Severus Snape lay sprawled in a spreading pool of his own blood on the floor by a softly simmering cauldron of what was obviously Harry's antidote. His paler than normal skin shimmered in the dancing light as the blood leaked out attempted to hide him within it along with any shames he might have had in life.

Dumbledore rushed to Snape's side, his heart in his throat, horror at the sight choking him. He viciously ripped a piece of fabric from Snape's robe and tightly wrapped the wound.

"Dum...Dumble..." Snape breathed as best he could. Dumbledore's head snapped up to gaze into Snape's deep black eyes as Snape continued trying to speak. 

"Al...bus..save..Harry...tell...him...live..." Snape said as fast as he could to ensure his message got out.

Dumbledore nodded quickly and Snape, satisfied, gave a small smile and laid back, his eyes closing and a satisfied sigh escaping his lips.

Fearful, Dumbledore felt Snape's neck for a pulse, his fingers' slippery with bloody. He breathed a sigh of relief. Snape was alive. Dumbledore had only to see to it that it remained that way - and that even if Snape did not, his sacrifice would not be in vain. 

  
  


Next Chapter: The Hope


	16. The Hope

Well, the last chapter is now up. Yes, I said the last chapter!! But I do promise that any and all loose ends in this story will be tied up in the sequel, which you can expect long before the 5th Harry Potter book. It'll be called, Harry Potter and the Labrynth of the Damned. 

Thank you to everyone who reviewed. It always gave me such a thrill to read such wonderful reviews, though some downright confused me. Like Severus Snape's... All but one of his consisted of one word... I wanted to say thanks to everyone, but I think that would take up a whole nother chapter by itself, so just thank you all! You know who you are.

Keep on the look out for my sequel! I should be starting it by March...since I'm already hyped on it... Already know most of what will happen, except for the last bit. Anyway, see you in the sequel! I've got to get back to Socrates now... UGH!

Enjoy!!

  
  


It was dark, though very warm, as though he had blankets covering every part of his body. A feeling of serenity was invading every part of his body, making him want to just give into the darkness. In it was no worry or pain and he somehow knew that if light were to invade it, he would never find such peace again as long as he lived.

He began to give in, to drift away on that pleasant feeling of darkness, when he suddenly remembered what else there would be no more of. Here there may not be any pain, but there would be no pleasure either. Only the peaceful numbness, and he wondered how long that would last him.

He struggled to awaken and the darkness became so thick it choked him. He couldn't breathe, so he fought harder. The darkness began to give way and he silently cheered his small victory, but not for long. A suffocating tiredness began to overtake him and was nearly overwhelming when combined with the choking that had not yet left. 

He struggled frantically, the numbness giving way to fear, and he suddenly knew he was fighting for his life. He tried to call out for help, he didn't want to die, but he could not even hear his own cries. The darkness was too thick.

And then the darkness loosened and he heard a voice. He fought harder and the voice became stronger. It sounded like it was crying a name, his name.

He opened his eyes and was blinded by bright light. He quickly closed them again and turned towards the voice.

"Severus," the voice said again. 

"Yes, Albus," Snape answered, his weak voice sounded strange to his ears.

Snape finally opened his eyes to see Dumbledore standing next to his bed, a worried frown creasing his forehead. 

"That was very foolish, Severus. And very brave. Maybe we should make you head of Gryffindor," Dumbledore told him, a smile replacing his frown.

Snape scowled at the Headmaster, ignoring the respective chuckles and gasps from the other occupants of the room. He did not think that to be very funny. Even if it was true...

"How's Harry," he asked sudden concern rising in him at the memory.

  
  


He tried to sit up quickly, but fell back down into his pillows, dizzy. He tried again and felt a strong hand press against his shoulder and hold him where he was. 

"He's the same, Severus," Dumbledore told him seriously. "We've given him the potion, so hopefully he'll be awake within a couple of weeks." 

"The book did say that was how long it could take for one so far gone..." Dumbledore added at the sharp look Snape gave him. 

Snape closed his eyes as though in pain as he whispered in an anguish-filled voice, "If he does at all."

"He will," Sirius exclaimed over a half-stifled sob from someone else in the room. Snape suspected it might be the Granger girl, or perhaps the youngest Weasley.

"Time will tell," Dumbledore said evenly. "But I do hope you're right, Sirius."

Snape opened his eyes and looked towards where he had heard Sirius's voice. Sure enough, there was Harry, laying pale and unmoving on his bed. 

Snape squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that it had not all been in vain...

  
  


***********************************************************************

Voldemort's red eyes narrowed as they continued to stare at the shivering, whimpering mass that had once been Matilda Snow. He had learned a lot from her interrogation, though most of it he had already known and had only lacked confirmation. 

So Snape truly did like to play games. And spy games, no less. Well, he liked to play games too.

"Wormtail, I want the Labrynth ready within the week. We've a new mouse to play with," Voldemort ordered gleefully.

Wormtail shuddered before scampering off to see that his master's will was made into reality. Voldemort gave a high cruel laugh at the site of the small fool and watched amused as the figure at his feet jerked a bit, as though in pain.

"Don't worry, my dear," he told it. "Your suffering is finally at an end."

His red eyes glittered a strange brownish color as green light split the night and his cry of "Avada Kedavra," sent near-by birds to flight.

The figure lay motionless as the day once again gave way to night and evil walked away, laughter trailing behind him.

  
  


***********************************************************************

The wizarding world awoke the next day to cries of despair and anger. Their hope had fallen and their world was about to be overcome by darkness.

And Harry Potter lay silently in his bed, silent and blissfully unaware of the encroaching night.

  
  


Sequel: Harry Potter and the Labrynth of the Damned


End file.
